MANSFIELD — I’ve packed a lunch for myself since grade school.
I wasn’t a big fan of cafeteria food, and when I entered college, it was more economical to pack a lunch.
Now I see the health benefits of it, so I try to avoid eating out as much as possible, but sometimes I’ll break my routine.
Enter Altered Eats.
One day last summer I was on my way out to cover an event for the Richland Source when I noticed all the vendors setting up their booths for the Downtown Mansfield Farmer’s Market. I made a mental note that I should check that out later.
It was around 12:30 p.m. when the event finished and I could hear my stomach growling. As I walked along Main Street near the Richland Carrousel Park, I remembered that I had a packed lunch waiting for me back at the office, but then a savory aroma coming from the Altered Eats food truck caught my attention.
I joined a line of people waiting to place an order and reviewed the menu options. Everything sounded delicious. I decided to go with the Korean taco with shaved Bulgogi beef topped with onions, blackened green onions, fresh greens, crumble queso, Mexican crema and miso dressing.
I didn’t have far to walk, but I could hardly wait to get back to the office — it smelled and looked that good. And the taste didn’t disappoint.
Needless to say, I made it a point to get lunch from Altered Eats fairly regularly throughout the summer.
Altered Eats is a mobile restaurant that serves high quality, fresh fusion food, combining American classics with ethnic favorites. It’s run by Anne Massie and Aaron Schopp.
I was thrilled when Anne agreed to star in a video for the “Fast Foodie” column.
In the video, she prepares a Thai coconut vegetable stir-fry dish.
Here’s the recipe:
Quick pickle one daikon radish and one English cucumber:
- Slice one daikon radish and one English cucumber into thin slices
- Place vegetables, along with one garlic clove, into large bowl
- Add 1/4 cup of rice vinegar, 1/4 cup of water, 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- Mix together well
- Veggies should be submerged; add more water if necessary
- Pickle for at least 30 minutes (pickled veggies can be made up to 12 hours ahead of time)
Soak one 8-oz. package of rice noodles in boiling water for 7 minutes, or until tender. Drain noodles and rinse quickly with cold water.
Make the Thai coconut sauce:
- Mix together 4 tablespoons of red curry paste, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon of lime juice
- Place in skillet and cook on medium-low heat
- Add one can of full fat unsweetened coconut milk; stir
- Add pinch of white pepper, pinch of garlic powder, two pinches of ginger powder and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
- Add a little Sriracha if you like spice
- Taste and adjust seasoning
- Remove from heat
Cook the sliced veggies:
- Heat wok with 1/4 cup of vegetable oil; turn to medium-high heat
- Add one chopped onion and two chopped bell peppers; cook until onion is translucent
- Turn heat down to medium
- Add two chopped yellow squash and two chopped green zucchinis; stir until soft
- Add 1 1/2 cups of sliced white mushrooms and 4 cloves of garlic; stir quickly and do not let the garlic burn
Final touches:
- Add the thai coconut sauce; stir quickly for one minute
- Add noodles
- Add a splash of Sriracha sauce for extra kick
- Serve immediately and top with freshly sliced basil, sesame seeds and pickled veggies.
To see when and where Altered Eats will be, check out their Facebook page.
